More than a century after his death at Gallipoli, the name of a young sergeant has finally been added to the war memorial in Auckland’s Devonport.
Sergeant Alan Wallace’s name had been left off until now because he enlisted overseas. He has now been formally honoured following a decades-long push by his family, just in time for Anzac Day.
Around 2770 New Zealanders died during the eight-month campaign on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Türkiye, about a fifth of those who fought there.
Thousands of Kiwi soldiers were honoured on memorials across New Zealand for their sacrifices in the Dardanelles, but some who enlisted from overseas were overlooked.
One of them was Sergeant Wallace.
A scholar turned soldier
Wallace was a prominent name on the Auckland Grammar’s honours board. His great-nephew Alistair Dray also went to the school and he says: “I used to see his name on the wall every day at school for five years, and I didn’t know much about him at all.”
A top scholar and sportsman, Wallace then excelled at Auckland University College before becoming New Zealand’s youngest Rhodes Scholar at age 20.
He had just completed a mathematics degree at Oxford University when war broke out in 1914, and like many Kiwis overseas he volunteered to join the war effort.
Experience in mathematics and physics made Wallace a prime candidate to join the newly formed 1st Field Company of the New Zealand Engineers, and he was promoted to Sergeant on Christmas Day 1914.
Wallace’s 21-year-old brother Bert Wallace had also enlisted in the effort, and the pair both trained in Egypt prior to the campaign in the Dardanelles.
“I like to think Bert and Alan were reunited after two years and had a beer in Cairo,” Dray said.
Alan landed at Anzac Cove on April 25, 1915, spending two harrowing weeks holding the line in the steep hills above the Turkish beach.
For rescuing wounded soldiers during fierce fighting on May 2 and 3, he was recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
A week later, while speaking with an Australian officer in the trenches, Wallace was shot in the head by an Ottoman sniper, dying the next day aboard a hospital ship. He was 24.
“He’d have been an amazing New Zealander if he’d had a chance to grow old,” Dray said.
Fighting for recognition
A visit to Gallipoli 30 years ago deepened Dray’s connection to his ancestor. He went in search of his great-granduncle’s grave, but discovered there wasn’t one — Wallace had been buried at sea.
“They put some New Zealanders who were buried at sea on the side of the Australian Lone Pine Memorial,” he said.
When Dray returned to Devonport in 1996, he visited the war memorial to find only one Wallace: Wallace’s brother Bert, who survived Gallipoli only to be killed in 1916 at the Battle of the Somme.
He rang the RSA, only to be told that because Wallace had enlisted from London, he didn’t qualify for inclusion on the Devonport memorial.
“I thought it was really unfair, 80 years later,” Dray said.
“I wasn’t happy with it, but I let it slide for a while.”
In 2023, during another trip to Devonport, he decided to renew his request.
“I figured I’d give it another crack.”
Devonport RSA president Muzz Kennett began to investigate Dray’s request, thinking it deserved a “closer look”.
He consulted with senior RSA members, including past presidents, and came to the consensus that Wallace should be on the memorial.
“He was born in Devonport, he was raised in Devonport, his brother’s on the memorial, and the fact that he joined from the UK was irrelevant because he actually joined the New Zealand engineers,” Kennett said.
Based on that, an application was made to Auckland Council’s heritage and culture department, which took around two years to process.
“The council didn’t charge us anything to process that application, it just took time.”
‘Like a loop had been closed’
Dray said the news Wallace’s name would be engraved on the Devonport War Memorial was “emotional” and “like a loop had been closed”.
“I feel like it’s only a minor thing, but it brings completeness to the fact that he wasn’t on his hometown memorial, so it made me feel pleased.”
Kennett said it had been “very satisfying” to see Wallace’s name finally added.
“I was very pleased to be able to ring [Dray] and tell him we’d got approval.”
Uncovering the story of his great-granduncle had brought Dray a sense of connection as well as gratitude for Wallace’s sacrifice.
“I started off knowing nothing about my great-grandfather’s little brother. We went to the same school and the same university. In some ways, I followed in his footsteps, but I’ve had the opportunity to live life more fully.”
Wallace’s name was due to be formally unveiled on the Devonport war memorial at the Anzac dawn service this morning, with around 19 of his descendants in attendance.
Dray had never met most of the people coming.
“It’s brought us all together, and they’re all quite interested [in Wallace] as well.”
During the service, the family would unveil the name together, accompanied by the performance of a song titled Poppies and Pohutukawas by Lieutenant Rebecca Nelson.
Anzac Day was a time to reflect on the sacrifice and the loss of all those who have served for our country, Dray said.
“There’s no one living who remembers World War I, and World War II is getting pretty remote as well. We owe them a lot really.”
Kennett said the case showed how important it was to keep memorials accurate and open to review.
“If someone came to me tomorrow and said, ‘Hey, my great-grandfather was born and lived in Devonport and isn’t on there,’ we’d have a look. I think it’s important.”
This Anzac Day, when the names of Devonport’s fallen sons are read aloud, Wallace’s is finally among them.
